


The Game Isn't Over

by nork



Category: Homestuck
Genre: Dreambubbles, F/F, idk abt this?? so i was just like 'fuck it', pre-retcon versions of themselves, reunited
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-09-10
Updated: 2016-09-17
Packaged: 2018-08-14 07:18:10
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 8,887
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8003422
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/nork/pseuds/nork
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The game may have ended for them, but it doesn't mean they're erased.</p><p>Set in the dreambubbles, after the Game Over.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Kanaya

You’re alone.

The dreambubble brings back bitter memories. It’s an amalgamation of your old home, back on Earth, and a troll hive.

At least, you think it’s a troll hive.

Anyway. You’d refused to look in your mother’s bedroom, lest you be tempted by the alcohol behind the bar. You’ve promised yourself that you’ll never go near that stuff ever again.

You don’t know how alcohol will affect you now, anyway. You’re at least ninety-nine percent sure it’d do nothing; all the ghosts you met on the meteor seemed to subside of nothing but memories and willpower.

You pull yourself back together, and take refuge in your bedroom. It’s quiet. Your old knitting is strewn across the floor, but you feel no urge to pick up the needles and set them clicking. At this point, you have no desire to wield needles ever again.

It seems you’ll be here for a long time, just thinking. You’re not entirely sure anyone is even in this dreambubble with you. You might be alone forever.

You brush away that thought. You’re comfortable, anyway. There’s no longer any blood on your God-Tier dress, and the silence is quite comforting.

For some reason, you think, about her. Your mom, that is. You’re not completely sure which mom: the one who (supposedly) raised you, or the one who’s your age. Was your age, you think?

Time’s strange in these bubbles, and you’re no Time player. You have literally no clue how long you’ve been here. However, a feeling tells you it hasn’t really been any longer than a day at most.

 _Slam._ It’s one of the looser doors, which you used to love to slam when you were younger, when you were angry. You weren’t angry now- you just felt empty. Regardless, you stand up, and poke your head out of the door.

There’s a shadow, but you can’t make out who it is. You’re not entirely sure if you can die, so you’re not all that bothered if they’re malicious or not.

You retreat back into the relative safety and familiarity of your bedroom, leaving the door open for the visitor to join you in their own time. Inside, you glance at the drawing of the Horrorterror on your wall, and shudder.

The next thing you do is throw the scrunched up piece of paper out of your window. _God,_ thirteen-year-old-you was embarrassing.

You’re lying on your bed when the visitor inches your door open. (Okay, you left it only just open.)

“Knock knock,” she murmurs, and you don’t even have to look over to know who it is.

Okay. You’re not alone, after all.

You sit up, and turn to face her. “Hello, Kanaya.”

Your legs are dangling off the bed. She sits beside you, her skin cooler than yours. You know this from hours of being in contact with her, and the fact that her skin is pressed flush to yours. It’s even more familiar than the room you’re in.

You’re not entirely sure, but you have a feeling this is your Kanaya. Before anything happens, though, you want to find out if this _is_ your Kanaya. Because, oh boy, do you miss her.

She seems to think the same, as she says: “Um, Rose- are you _my_ Rose?”

“I don’t know. I have a feeling I am, but it’s a good idea to be sure. Here, I’ll start-“ Your breath catches for a moment; you’ve not really taken any time to recall your death. Muder by trident at the hands of the Batterwitch. Fun.

Kanaya is giving you a concerned look. You look down, frown a little, and swallow. “I was killed by the Condesce, trident through my chest.”

There. You said it. You remind yourself to breathe.

Kanaya shrugged. “I can’t remember my Rose dying. She must’ve lived or… died after I did.” She pauses, much like you did. You lean against her. She clears her throat, and continues. “I, too, was killed by the Condesce. Psionics.”

You remember. You remember her body vaporising, remember the tears that sprinted down your face, remember the rage that flooded your very soul. You remember your final leap, needles out, and then pain. And nothing.

In that moment, you are at least one-hundred-percent positive this is your Kanaya.

“Well, your memories line up pretty fucking well with mine, my Kanaya,” you say, voice barely a whisper. She breathes in, suddenly, shuddering. She’s a pane of glass, slowly shattering, and it’s your responsibility to hold her together.

So you do. You turn, and grab hold of her in the most awkward side-hug you’ve ever given. (Granted, you haven’t given many, but still.)

She clutches at you, and you can feel her sharp troll nails digging into your skin. You cling to the feeling, and cling to her.

You squeeze your eyes shut, and just enjoy holding her. She’s crying silently into your dress shoulder, and you know those green tears of hers will stain it.

Whatever- it’s just nice to hold her. You’re not okay, and neither is she; you won’t be okay for a long time.

But now, you have her. And you can work through it.

Together.


	2. Jade and Karkat

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jade and Karkat are the first that they find.

You’ve been wandering the bubble for a few days. You showed Kanaya around your house, and she was enthralled to see it in person. (It was pretty cute, if you’re being honest).

At this exact moment, you’re sitting on a couch. The squid princess sits beside you, as she had before you prototyped her with your dead cat. The silence lets you mull things over.

You feel the sofa dip as Kanaya sits beside you. Her arm presses against yours, and you can feel her hand fumbling for yours. She finds it, and you hold her tightly, and rest your head on her shoulder, and you rise out of your thoughts.

“Are we going to sit around this bubble for ever, or should we do something?” she asks, and you shrug your shoulders a little. Honestly, sitting around the dreambubble doing nothing for ever sounds pretty good to you. You were in the habit of doing nothing, especially after the three years on the meteor. You barely remember that, though; it’s floating around your head in an alcohol-stained haze.

“What do you propose we do then, my dear?” You don’t have the energy to say much more. 

“I want to find our Karkat, and maybe even the others that we were with. They have to be around somewhere, don’t they?”

You don’t answer, just nod. You’re not sure how you’ll find them, but if she has an idea, you’ll hear her out.

She seems to understand. “We’re dead, Rose. We don’t mean anything to the intricate cogs and wheels that keep this game working. Bending the rules that we were never given is the only possible option here,” she tells you. Her words sound familiar, almost what you had said before you went grimdark. “And anyway, you’re the Seer here. Perhaps bending the meaning of Light can give us the locations of our friends. It is possible.”

You lift your head from her shoulder, and look at her. “I don’t even think we have to bend the rules. The most fortuitous outcome would be to find them.”

You can see her smile. “Then it can be done.”

“Indeed it can. It’ll take some effort, though.” You’re willing to put in the effort, though. She’s happy, and you don’t want to dash her hopes. _She believes in you,_ you think, and that strengthens your resolve.

You shut your eyes, give her hand a squeeze, and tap into your Sight.

It comes alive. You glimpse Karkat, sitting on a hill in a place you’ve never seen before. In the distance, there’s a tall building with a single orb. You recognize that- Jade’s told you about it, has been telling you about it since you found her pesterchum when you clicked the ‘random user’ button.

That must mean she’s here too, you realise. You can find her too.

Your Sight fades out, and you open your eyes. As usual, once you come out of a Sight, you’re dizzy and you slump onto Kanaya, your head spinning.

“Did you find anyone?” Her voice is anxious, and cuts straight to the point. You swallow.

“I saw Karkat. Tell me, when you used to troll us, did you ever see Jade’s home?”

“The island that she resided on? Of course. I never spoke to her, though. Why are you asking- wait. Did you see Karkat there?”

You nod, slowly. She grins. “It means Jae is here with us too,” you tell her. You can almost feel her grin fade a little.

“The more friends, the better, isn’t it? How does your human saying go…” she trailed off, and you laugh.

“I believe the saying was ‘the more, the merrier’. And yes, it is perfectly true here,” you tell her, and smile.

You’re not sure how long Karkat will be in that certain landscape. He was never really a wanderer, though, so you’re not particularly worried. Regardless, you start talking. “Kanaya, I’m tired. Can you get us there?”

Kanaya frowned and stood from the couch, stretching. (You don’t even pretend to not be watching). She lowers her arms and offers a hand to you. You take it, and she pulls you upright with her alien strength. She tugs you close, holding both your hands. She looks directly into your eyes and you’re reminded of how dead you both are, by the plain whites of her eyes. It’s strange and kind of unsettling- you’re used to seeing yellow and grey when you look at her eyes.

“It might take a few tries, but I’m certain we’ll get there eventually. I’m not exactly god-tier, or have any practice.  In that case, are you ready, Rose?”

You smile at her. It’s time to be cheesy. “As ready as I’ll ever be.”

She laughs at you, and your surroundings blink to white.

* * *

 

Your surroundings stutter for a moment, and flash to green. It solidifies, into the rolling hills and deep blue sky of Jade’s island. You are entirely ready to collapse, but Kanaya’s strong grip holds you up. You recognise the hills from your vision, but then again hills are pretty generic and this could be any hill.

You tell Kanaya you’re not sure where he is. She shrugs, and calls his name as loud as she can, and your ears start to ring.

She releases one of your hands and picks you up bridal style. You giggle, and she kisses the tip of your nose.

And then she jumps. One leap takes you both to the top of the nearest hill. _Rainbow drinker,_ you remember. Freaky troll vampire powers.

She calls again. You float gently out of her arms and above her, and call out too.

You look around; while you’re flying, you might as well take a look around. You cast your gaze across the hills- the green starts to hurt your eyes.

Then you spot it. A speck of grey, and a speck of black.

You are one-hundred-percent sure that’s them. Jade _and_ Karkat.

So you fly down, and repay your girlfriend the favour. You scoop her up, and hold her just like she held you. She blushes a little, and you just let yourself fly.

The air holds you, cushioning you. You could practically sit down if you wanted too. (You don’t). You tighten your grip on Kanaya and begin to descend.

The specks grow larger, and the grey one appears to be moving at quite a fast rate. As your shadows near the pair, they both look up to you (at least, you think they do). You’re not sure what you both look like, as you lower yourself through the sky- perhaps two angels, come to rescue them. Or maybe you look like two awkward teenagers who can fly.

You'll take either possibility. You've missed them enough to not particularly care.

Not that you actually saw Jade in person, pretty much ever.

You push that thought aside and you land, shoes brushing the grass gently. Before you address Jade or Karkat, you stand Kanaya up, and offer a hand. She takes it, and you know that she’s having as much fun as you are making them wait.

And finally, you turn to them. As it always has been with Kanaya, you’re unnerved by their fully white eyes.

Jade pushes up her glasses as you grin. “How… How did you find us?”

You glance over at Kanaya, who is glowing softly. “A little bit of vision, and encouragement. We’ve been sitting around, twiddling our thumbs, doing nothing for a few days. Kanaya thought it best to jump-start us getting going again.”

Karkat huffs. “Well, isn’t that just fucking great? That means that there are more of us. More of us that are dead.”

His point is true. Everyone’s silent for a moment.

“Don’t get me wrong, you don’t know how glad I am to see you both.” It almost sounds as if he’s tearing up. Kanaya’s hand leaves yours as she strides forward and picks him up, holding him tight.

You’re watching them for a second, when Jade hits you like a linebacker going in for a tackle. You’re caught off-balance and knocked to the ground. You can’t breathe for a moment, and Jade is crushing you, and crying.

 _It must have taken a bit to realise we were actually here_ , you think. And you think you might be crying too.

It’s only a few of your friends, but a few is far better than none. You reach down, and hug Jade tight, ignoring the fact that you’re lying on the floor.

It takes a few minutes for everyone to calm down. Jade rolls off you, and sits up on the grass, rubbing her eyes beneath her glasses. You sit up too, and swing an arm around her shoulders, and bring her a little closer.

Karkat and Kanaya sit down, shoulders brushing each other. Karkat is furiously wiping at his eyes, and you can plainly see the green tear-tracks on Kanaya’s glowing cheek.

You suppose it’s the relief of knowing they you’re not the only two left, to hang around for eternity. And the fact that you’ve missed them so much, not knowing what happened to anyone. Everyone’s not just crying because they don’t have anything else to do.

Jade heaves in a deep breath, and shrugs off your arm. “We’ve been staying in my house. It’s more comfortable to talk there.”

You nod. Standing up, you stretch, and offer Jade a hand up. She accepts it, and you pull her to her feet. She nudges her glasses up, and her white eyes still jar you. Anyone’s white eyes jar you, to be fair.

You’re happy to see her, even if she’s another reminder of life before the game. You wonder if the other kids are around somewhere.

 _If_ this is your old friend. You don’t have any way to know this is your Jade, if that’s Kanaya’s Karkat. You suppose you’d just figure it out when you get back to Jade’s house.

You’re walking toward it when Kanaya falls in beside you, and Jade drifts ahead to talk to Karkat. You’re okay with this.

Kanaya finds your hand, and holds it tightly. Her overwhelming emotions have calmed- her skin is no longer glowing, returned to its grey colour.

She walks a half-step faster than you, and pulls you along slightly.

“Do you think they’re ours?” You don’t need to elaborate further; Kanaya understands.

“I hope so. I don’t think you would See someone who isn’t from our timeline, would you?”

You shake your head.

“Then we can hope.”

You nod, and look down. “This means the others are definitely around. What if I’m the only one who can find them?” Your eyes are trained on your feet.

“I suppose we’ll have more of a job to do. It would be nice to have our friends all together I one place once again. We’ve missed them long enough.”

You look up at her. “I just hope I can find them all.”

Kanaya leans over, presses a kiss to your temple. She pulls away and squeezes your hand a little. “I have complete faith that you will.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> okie dokie tell me abt mistakes n shit ily for reading this!!


	3. Dave

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Next, Rose finds Dave.

You lose track of time too quickly.

It’s been about four days since you found Jade and Karkat, and to be frank, you’re a little jumpy.

And last night, you saw Dave. (That’s probably a contributor to your jumpiness).

Kanaya approaches you, as you try and search for anything else about where Dave is. All you got was red- likely, he’s in his land. Sitting on the edge of a tall building. Not that you ever actually visited his land; all he told you was that it was covered in lava and he had the tallest building.

You are doubtful he’d recreate Texas, not after he told you what had happened.

And yes, he had told you. It had meant so much to you that he had come to _you._ You hadn’t even tried to psychoanalyze him; you just hugged him, and thanked him, and told him that Bro would never be near him again.

You knew he knew that, since he’d seen Bro’s body. Still, you felt the need to remind him, and he seemed to appreciate it. (If, by appreciate, you actually mean he cried).

Kanaya sits next to you, yanking you out of your thoughts. She placed a hand over one of yours, resting on your lap. Her hands are cold, as always, and you look into her white eyes.

“Hey,” you say, managing to keep your voice steady.

“Hey,” she replies, a soft smile gracing her lips. God, but you love that fucking smile. “What are you thinking about?”

You take a minute, sit back against the sofa. Jade had moved all her grandfathers creepy dolls out, and taken out the wall, so you stared out onto the open green. “I saw Dave last night. I want to find him, Kanaya.”

She turns her head slightly. “I’ll tell Karkat. I assume you want to leave immediately?”

You smile too. “You know me all too well. Get them to stay here- we don’t want to lose this place.”

She nods, and leaves, her hand leaving a lingering coolness on yours.

You stand after a few moments, trying to pinpoint his location. He’s your brother, after all- surely sharing genetics does anything to help you find him?

Nope. Ectobiology sucks.

Kanaya appears with Karkat after a minute or two more. “Are you sure you don’t want us with you?” He asks, and you smile wanly and shake your head.

“He might be more likely to come with us if it’s just Kanaya and me. Also, it doesn’t feel like a good idea to leave Jade’s home. It’ll likely disappear and we’ll have to find a new place.”

Karkat shrugs. “Fine with me. Just, tell him we’re here too? It feels rude not to, doesn’t it? Also, tell him I’m going to kick his fucking ass for dying,” Karkat grumbles. You think it’s kind of cute.

“Sure. But we really should get going, before he moves someplace else. We’ll see you in a few hours, if you can tell what that is.”

Karkat barks out a laugh, and Kanaya gives him a wave. She grabs your hand, and pulls you through the broken-down wall, and out onto the grass. You hold her hand tight.

She turns to face you, and stares straight into your eyes. “So. Where have you seen him- will I be able to find it?”

You shrug. “Maybe. He’s in his land, on his apartment, or a building of similar height. You saw all of our lands, right?”

She colours a little, blushing the same shade as the grass beneath your feet. “Mostly your land, but I did see parts of the others. I can get us there, but it may take a few tries.”

You nod, breaking away from her hand to scratch an itch on your nose. “Okay, I just… I just hope we’re not too late.”

Kanaya grabs you hand again as it falls. “Don’t worry, I’m sure we will.” She smiles, and your surroundings blink to that familiar white.

* * *

 

As Kanaya said, it did indeed take her a few tries.

First try made your land materialise, and she glowed. You chuckle, and she tries again, her concentration stemming the light coming from her skin.

Second try brings you into your house, where you’d first seen Kanaya. She flushes even greener, and you don’t laugh, but instead encourage her. She squeezes her eyes shut, and you’re moved again.

This time, to the right place. A wave of heat hit you immediately, and you began to wonder how you’d stand being here for an extended period of time. Fuck knows how long Dave’s been here; then again, he grew up in Texas, and not New York.

Luckily, you don’t have to go far. Dave doesn’t even notice your arrival, doesn’t turn to acknowledge you. Just sits, legs hanging off the edge of his building, facing down into the lava below.

You can’t tell how he died. No blood on his clothes, not even openings that swords might have torn in them.

You tiptoe to his side, sit down beside him. The lava sears your eyes, as if the heat from the molten rock was burning your retinas. You look away, up to the sky.

“Hello, Dave.” Your voice is a murmur, but loud enough for him to hear it. Kanaya stands behind you both, as if she was trying to give you space. You appreciate it.

“Hey, Rose.” His voice is despondent, a far cry from any other tone you’d ever heard from him. You wince slightly.

Death must have really hit him hard- actually, come to think of it, you don’t know how your Dave died. You’ll just have to hope.

You swing your legs a little, look over at him. He’s staring into the lava like it has all the answers.

“Kanaya and I have been finding people.” You decide to get straight into the point.

“Come to pick up me next?” He lifts his head, faces toward you. Those damn glasses prevent you from seeing if he was looking at you.

“Obviosuly.” You look straight ahead. “We found Jade and Karkat already; they miss you just as much as I do. Are you coming with us?” You ask, floating yourself up to your feet. You stand on the edge, looking down.

You extend a hand. He looks at it. “C’mon. Being around people helps.”

He sighs, and stands up without for help. He brushes his trousers of the nonexistant dust, and looks at you. “Alright, fine. How do we get to them?”

You rub your eye, thinking. “Kanaya seems to be able to get me from place to place. I don’t see why her powers would exclude you.”

He shrugs. “You’re the one who knows everything here.”

You give a small laugh. “Trust me, Dave, I certainly am not.” A tiny quirk of his lip. You’re pretty sure that’s as good as you’re going to get.

“Okay, then,” you mutter under your breath, beckoning Kanaya close. She extends her hands, ready to hold both you, and Dave.

“Back to Jade’s we go,” Kanaya says, almost singsongy. It makes you laugh again, and she beams (not literally. She’s got it under control, at least for the moment).

You clasp Dave’s hand, his grip not quite as tight. His skin is rough and hot, compared to Kanaya’s. She’s smooth and cold.

You think it’s a nice equilibrium, and then the world blinks to white. Dave holds tighter to you, startled by the sudden change. You squeeze his hand gently, trying to be reassuring.

* * *

 

When the world blinks back to colour, Dave looks ill. You apologize swiftly.

“It’s a bit jarring the first time- I do apologize.”

He slips his hand away from you and Kanaya. You keep ahold of Kanaya’s, and she shows no sign of pulling away.

He bends over at the waist, almost ready to puke. “You don’t say, Rose,” he tells you, through gritted teeth.

After a few minutes, he stands back straight, his face back to its usual colour. He runs a hand through his hair, and it looks identical to the past three years. With his shades on, he could be the only living one out of the three of you.

You take a second to check around you. The placing isn’t perfect, but definitely in the right area. Green hills- if you squint, you can make out the frog temple.

“Are we close?”

You shrug. “I’m not completely sure. Not far, though. Likelihood is, we’ve got to fly.”

He pushes up his shades with a knuckle. “You guys need any help?”

You give him a smile. You look over at Kanaya, who smiles at you. In one fluid, smooth move, you pick her up and carry her bridal style. Even though you did it not long ago, she still glows slightly.

You grin at him. “We’re good. Let’s go.”

You just float. He does the same. The air is comfortable, and you focus on going even higher.

Dave is by your side, instantly. He knows the landscape; you’d forgotten about him helping Jade with the frogs. He spins in the air, shakes your shoulder. He’s pointing into the distance, at Jade’s house.

You’re pretty glad to see it, even if Kanaya is light in your arms, you kind of really want to sleep. You’ve slept a lot recently, although you are quite sure that you don’t require it.

Oh well. It passes the time, you suppose. And you see your friends. That’s an upside.

Dave’s already off, flying towards the white building. He’s going fast, but not as fast that you couldn’t fly beside him if you wanted.

You decide not to. Of course, he’s spent enough time alone. But maybe he’s psyching himself up to meeting Karkat again, seeing Jade after three years. You’re sure they hadn’t talked- you’d tried enough times to contact them, but the signal didn’t reach any further than the meteor.

The building grew closer and closer. It cast a shadow across the ground, from an artificial, memory-sun. You touch down a few feet behind Dave, stroll up to stand beside him.

You lower Kanaya to the ground, stand her up. She’s glowing a little, and as you kiss her cheek, she glows a little brighter. You decide that you’ll never get enough of her glow.

“Do we go in, then?” Dave asks. He’s facing the wall that was taken out, right into the living room.

“We do. I’m sure Jade and Karkat will find us as we get in,” Kanaya says. She grabs for your hand, and you let her get it.

Dave walks first, through the wall. He looks around. You follow soon after, looking for Karkat and Jade.

You hear an ‘oof’ of surprise from Dave, and a thud. You look over to see that Jade had tackled him, much like she had you. You chuckle. Karkat rounds a corner, and stands in the doorway, quiet for once.

Dave hugs Jade, then pushes her off. She scrambles to her feet, laughing at something he’d said. You look at Kanaya, who gives your hand a squeeze.

He sees Karkat, who just nods to him. Dave raises his eyebrows, and you hope it’s in a joking way that Karkat will get.

“Ooh, that was cold. Not even a ‘hi’? Dude, you wound me,” Dave says, laying a hand on his chest. He’s being overdramatic, and Karkat smiles. Actually _smiles._

Oh man, you missed something on that meteor.

“You know I missed you,” Karkat grumbles, and steps toward Dave.

Dave raises his hand for a fistbump, and Karkat gently hits it with his fist.

Awkward bro time over, Dave collapses on a couch, an arm on the back of the chair. Jade settles in beside him, and you wonder if she’s going to fill him in on what’s been happening, on Kanaya and your plan to find everyone. He just nods along.

You look up at Kanaya, beaming. Her free hand brushes a piece of hair away from her eyes, and she looks into your eyes.

“One down, several to go.”

She laughs.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> when u at that point were you don;t know if you're gonna continue this  
> like i rly want to? but i'm losing motivation quick but i guess only two chapters left, i can do this  
> stay tuned for the next ones my dudes, thank you sm for reading!! ignore my notes lm a o  
> also i wrote the first part yesterday so im sorry if it feels disjointed?? sorry.   
> this is unbeta-ed sorry my guys


	4. Jane and Jake

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Time to go.

Four days later, you sit in the living room, knitting needles clasped in your hands. Your hands are shaking a little bit, but you’re doing this for Kanaya. She wanted to knit with you- you just need to forget what they feel like when they thrummed with power, what they felt like releasing that power onto your enemy.

You hold them tighter, begging your hands to stop shaking.

A cool hand is on yours, and you slowly stop shaking. You look up, and she’s there. Kanaya’s eyes are concerned.

“We don’t need to. I can show you tricks on a sewing machine, if you’d like, instead?”

You give her a cautious smile. “I just need to be distracted.”

Kanaya smirks. “That can be arranged.” She leans in, gives you a chaste kiss on the lips. You can’t tear your eyes away from her. She takes the needles from your fingers, instead holding your hands in hers.

“Kanaya, I love you, I love that you’ve got someone in that quadrant, but could you takes this to the respiteblock?”

You look over. You had forgotten Karkat was there, lying on the couch. He’s sitting up now, though. You feel yourself flush; Kanaya laughs, but you can see her glowing slightly out of the corner of your eye.

“Jealous, are we?” you retort, rolling your eyes. You feel your blush fade. He rolls his eyes, lying back down.

“Don’t even go there, Lalonde.” You want to rib him further, but you decide against it. So, you lay back, looking at Kanaya.

You hear the tap of soft shoes coming into the room- you glance over, see Jade coming in to join the three of you. You shuffle up a little, but the couch is only a two-seater, whereas Karkat’s sofa is a three.

She plonks herself down on Karkat’s sofa, not sitting on his legs. She could have, but you suppose it would be pretty uncomfortable, and unnecessary. Karkat’s short body only took up two of the seats, and maybe an inch of the third. (Not that you would take up much more).

Jade sighs. You glance over at her, still holding Kanaya’s hand.

Jade is staring at the ceiling, head supported by the sofa back. You frown a little.

“I want to be somewhere different.”

That’s all she says. You face her, Kanaya doing the same. Karkat sits upright, shuffles backwards to rest his back against the sofa arm.

“Why’s that?” Kanaya asks, curious.

Your sight is drawn to movement in the doorway. Dave is leaning against the frame. He says nothing.

“I dunno… Going a little stir-crazy? You guys have actually gone out, found us and Dave.” Jade shifts in her seat, obviously uncomfortable.

You’re a little shocked. Holy shit, why didn’t you think of that? They’re cooped up here, under the excuse that you don’t want to lose this place.

Kanaya gives your hand a feeble squeeze, as if trying to communicate that she felt the same. But you’re clamming up, and you’re silent. When you don’t squeeze back, she draws her hand away, and not even the coolness of her skin is there.

You just feel hot. Hot and embarrassed and foolish.

Karkat winces a little, but speaks up regardless. “I agree with her. You guys are treating us like fucking wrigglers- we’re just as old as you. We can choose to do what we want, we’re not completely pan-fucked.”

He falls silent.

“Let us do something to help you, at least.” Jade. “I mean- I’m so glad you’re doing this. Both of you. Finding us all, getting us all together; it’s the best thing you could do for us. But we can help, too! We’re not useless.”

 _As you think._ You know that’s what goes unsaid.

But you don’t view them as useless, right? They’re equal, aren’t they?

No. You’ve never really thought that. Seeing past your own arrogance was never one of your strong points.

Your gaze drops to the floor. _No,_ you think. _I won’t show that I’m upset by this._

You give a small smile to Jade. You decide that you will concede defeat. They’re your friends- sometimes, everyone has to bend or everything will break.

“Yeah. You’re right. Never been more so. Self-absorbed, much?” When nobody even smiles, you continue.  “Thanks. I needed a slap in the face like that.”

Kanaya’s fingers brush yours. “Do you wish to go now?” She’s feeling bad too. You’re not the only one under fire here.

Jade grins. You’re slightly unnerved by how Dave hasn’t really talked to you much- in that conversation, he didn’t even say a word.  

“C’mon, then. Let’s haul ass, get out of here. No point waiting around, right?” There you go. Dave is still at the doorframe, just not leaning against it anymore. His hands are in his pockets.

Jade nods. You get a proper hold on Kanaya’s hand. If she’s going to be there for you, you bloody well will be there for her.

Karkat stands, stretches. “Let’s get a fucking move on, then.” He reaches upwards, and Jade leaps to her feet too. Dave walks up, and finally you stand. You gently pull Kanaya up, giving a soft smile. You can see she tries to smile back.

You know she doesn’t exactly have as thick a skull as you; you know that she likes to keep people where she can see them. She wants to protect people who don’t need protecting.

You get a better hold on her hand as she stands. The coolness of her blood gives you a chill, for the first time ever.

You give Jade a small nod, and she leads you out of the house.

* * *

 

You’ve been wandering through the hills for quite a while. There doesn’t seem to be an end in sight- Jade must have known this place so, so well to reconstruct it so perfectly.

Soon, though, there’s a white patch. And another, and another. They build up so fast that you’re pretty sure the memory is shifting, changing. You don’t know whose memory the next will belong to.

The floor becomes flat, although still carpeted with grass. It stretches out in every direction, endless. The sky is white.

Nobody has really spoke. Dave and Jade have been talking a little, and Karkat had attempted to strike up a conversation with Kanaya. He was only answered in monosyllables, so he’d eventually given up.

You look up at Kanaya. She’s frowning down, at the ground.

“Hey,” you say. She looks at you, expression tired.

“Hey.”

“They’re right, you know. We’re not their parents.”

She sighs, and your heart plummets a little further. “I know. But I can’t not worry, even though there’s a high likelihood that there’s nothing in this bubble that can hurt them.”

You give her hand a small squeeze. “And that’s okay, Kanaya. It means you care. We just need to know when to back off.”

She looks back at the ground. “I know I need to learn, but it’s hard, Rose.”

You give a slight shrug, glance at the others. They seem to not have noticed your whispers to Kanaya. “That’s the point. To risk sounding cheesy, the hardest things to learn are often the most important.”

Kanaya chuckles, quietly. “Some cheese you are. You’re quite right, though.”

And you notice, she stands a little taller, walks with more confidence. You’re delighted that you could help, even just a bit.

* * *

Jade stops suddenly. “We’re not getting anywhere.”

You give a small laugh. “Observant.” It sounded far more bitingly sarcastic than you wanted, and you wince. “Sorry. But the only way we got around was by teleporting.”

Jade turns, curiosity sparked. “How?”

“Space, I think,” Kanaya says. Attention immediately on her, she goes slightly green, but continues: “Keep a place in mind, join hands, and after a few tries, we were there. Perhaps you will be more successful than I, as you are a Witch.”

Jade shrugs. “If it worked for you, I don’t see why it would fail us. C’mon, guys.” She holds out her hands, and Karkat and Dave take them. Dave holds his hand out for yours, a slight smile on his face. You know he’s forgiven you, even if he wasn’t there for most of it.

Kanaya holds Karkats hand, and Jade shuts her eyes. “Any particular place?”  

“Anywhere but here,” Karkat mumbles, and Jade snorts.

And just like that, you’re off.

You glance over at Kanaya, whose eyes are wide. You forget that this is her first time not doing the actual teleporting.

The place you land in is unfamiliar. It’s a large white house, two stories and a balcony that you can just about see.

It looks too normal for a dreambubble. Dave lets go, and so does Kanaya.

Dave walks forward, up to the door. It’s just a regular door. He raises his fist, knocks twice on the wood.

It gives a hollow sound. You wait.

A minute or two passes, then you hear the mechanisms in the door shift. The handle twists, and you’re staring into an unfamiliar face.

“Hello,” the person says. Her voice is quite high-pitched, and she pushes up her red glasses. You notice she’s wearing a red apron, spotted with flour. “Who are you?”

Dave shrugs. “We’ve been around.”

She looks puzzled. “Doesn’t really answer my question… Oh well. Come in- you guys look friendly enough.” She leaves the door, turning into the house. “Jake! Come on, we have visitors!”

Jade’s dog ears are pricked instantly. “Jake?”

The girl turns, surprised, and nods. “He’s my friend. We ended up around here, and here was my old house, so we thought we might stay here.”

She looks over at you, white eyes unnerving behind glasses. “I was baking. Why don’t you sit down awhile? It’ll be ready in a bit; maybe you want some?”

Jade smiles. “We’d love some…” she trails off, not knowing how to thank her.

The girl laughs. “Jane. Jane Crocker.” And with that, she disappears through a door, presumably the kitchen door.

You collectively decide to sit on the sofas. Funny that, as soon as you leave Jade’s home, you find some more couches to flop around on. It makes you laugh a little.

Footsteps. You look up, see a boy hurtling down the stairs. He reaches the bottom, surveys you. “Hello, er, friends? Where’s Janey got to?”

“Went through to the kitchen,” you reply. He gives you a nod, and starts to head in that direction.

Jade stands. “Wait, you’re Jake?”

He turns, faces her, frowning slightly. “Yes, I am. And you would be?”

She flushes a little. “I’m Jade.” She bounces a little on the balls of her feet. “Remember me, Grandpa?”

His frown disappears, and he shoves his glasses up his nose, unable to take his gaze off her. “Grandma?” His voice is all quiet.

Jade grins. “I’ve missed you,” she says, before stepping forwards, giving him a hug. He’s startled for a moment, before he hugs her back with twice the intensity.

When they break apart he looks around, for the second time. “Are these chaps your friends, then?”

Jade looks around too. “Best friends.” She goes around, naming you all. You smile as you are introduced.

Jake rounds on her, seemingly full of questions. “Do you know what happened to Pointy-Horns and that rude male troll? How did you get here?” His face falters for a moment. “Your eyes are white- you're dead, like us?” It wasn't phrased as a question, but the way he said it made you think it was one. 

Jade nods. “Yeah. Rose thinks we died at the same time- memories of deaths seem to line up with this.”

Jake’s eyes glaze over. “Well, I can see that. I just remember being stuck through with a sword, then I turned up here, Jane not far behind.”

You see Dave push up his glasses. As much as he doesn’t want tells, he certainly does have them.

You think for a moment. “Why don’t we get Jane back in here before we decide to talk about anything too heavy, alright?” Heads turn towards you, then nod in agreement.

Jake nods, tearing his eyes away from your group, before going into the kitchen to fetch Jane. You shift downwards, sinking into the soft couch cushions.

Soon enough, Jane re-enters, sans apron. She seems to have already been filled in, as she has a serious look on her face, as if she is ready to solve a mystery. (You suppose she is).

“Let’s get down to it, then.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ugh this felt so ooc but i rly wanted to get into their characters properly? idk. i think it;s kinda weird but i decided to keep it in so have fun guys!! tysm for reading but im pretty sure there's just one final chapter to go  
> again, unbeta-ed, fresh from my word processor.  
> also i have exactly 0 idea how to write dave in this. probably the next fic/ one shot, im gonna focus on getting his character down but im not good at humour so we'll just have to see how that goes lmao


	5. The Final One

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> There's still one final one.

It took around an hour to explain everything. You actually learn quite a bit that you didn’t know originally- nobody was all that willing to open up about what happened before they died.

Kanaya and Karkat talked the most. They spoke of how Jade and Jane hunted down John (you wonder if he even died. You don’t remember him dying; so, maybe he didn’t?) and how Karkat died, was resurrected, then died at Gamzee’s hands.

Jane goes a little pale. “You know I wasn’t in control, right? Otherwise, I am terribly sorry, Karkat. Never in my right mind would I want to hurt anyone.” Her eyes are solemn, boring holes into Karkat.

He seems uncomfortable under her gaze. He shifts a little in place. “Yeah, I know. You had loads of little black lines from the headpiece, and I’ve been around humans enough to know that’s not in your ass-backwards biology.”

Jane nods, and the conversation moves onwards. Jane reveals she doesn’t actually know how she died, but Jake goes red. “That, er, that was partially my fault that we both died.”

Jane looked over, head snapping to the side to look at Jake. He scratches the back of his neck, having obviously not told her how he’d died, just let her know that they died at the same time. “Aranea- did you know her?- she launched a katana at you, as you were asleep. It was a completely cowardly move! So I leapt in front, earned myself a Heroic death. I’m pretty sure that she hurled it into you afterwards, but I’m not entirely sure. I was dead, after all!” He laughs nervously, unnerved by her glare.

She sighs, looking up towards the ceiling. She sighs, sits down on a footstool. “As much as I want to ask why the hell you would do that, I’m quite glad you did. That was a doomed timeline, right?”

Dave nods. “As doomed as they get.”

She nods again. “Right. So. You would have been wiped out. No Jake. At least now, you’re in a bubble, with me.” She blushes a little. “My last friend, really.”

Jane shuffles over, and Jake sits down beside her. “Hey, Jane, I’ll always be there.” He smiles, slinging an arm around her shoulder.

It was so awkward, you stifle a laugh but turning to Kanaya. She seems to be doing the same. You hear an _oof_ , and see Jake trying to sit up on the floor; he’d been pushed off the stool by Jane.

You’ve managed to calm your laughter, so that Kanaya was the only one who noticed. You clear your throat. “I know we have the leisure to do things at any pace we wish, but we should still move this along. Perhaps after this, we might never have to think about this again.”

Dave shrugs. “Sounds good to me.” He leans forward, from between Jade and Karkat. “I guess my death was anticlimactic as fuck. I got stabbed by the two dog-gods, skewered on a shitty Bec-berque.” He lays back. Jade looks vaguely offended.

“Pfft. Better than being stabbed in the chest by your so-called moirail.” Karkat sounded bitter. “Three times, dropped in a fucking lava pool.”

You decide to go next. “After Kanaya was vaporised-“ you lean on her for a moment, letting her know she doesn’t need to remember if she doesn’t want to, doesn’t need to contribute if she’s uncomfortable “-I made a suicide-run towards the Batterwitch. As a version of her once said, I ‘got forked’. Not the most elegant of deaths, I must admit.” You think for a moment. “Whether I ded a Heroic or Just death, I’m not completely sure. I just- stopped existing?” You realise that you are rambling, so you stop promptly. People give you a weird look, before moving on.

“I guess I’m last then? Mine sounds like it was the quickest. Dave said that I had a house dropped on me, but I don’t remember much, not after I went grimdark.” She goes silent, ears drooping. “I did some shitty stuff grimdark.”

You give a small laugh. “Not that I did much more than try and attack your overgrown wolf when I was grimdark, but I remember what it was like. Somewhat.” It was a memory of another you, three years ago. Tricked by the white text, too.

This version of you was born in the green flames, arisen from your Quest Bed.

You shake those thoughts. Jane speaks up again. “Alright! Thank goodness that’s all over and done with. The cake should have cooled nicely now, if any of you are interested…?”

A chorus of yeses (Or fuck yeses, in Dave and Karkat’s case) rose, and Jane grinned. She walked to the kitchen, steps laden with purposefulness.

* * *

 

The night after, youwake in a cold sweat.

There’s still one more person out there, one that you need to find. She’s alone. She _needs_ your help, for fucks sake! But you’re sure that everyone would say no.

She asked for your help. Not directly, but she’s yearning for someone else, and your Sight latched onto that.

Before you can go out, though, you need to convince a Space player to go with you.

Kanaya is the obvious choice. If you convince her, and the others say no, she’ll still take you. You’re entirely positive of this.

“Come on, Kanaya. She’s all alone! It wasn’t her fault, not really.”

“She killed us, if not directly! She began it all.” Kanaya doesn’t want to go with you- but she doesn’t understand. You Saw her there, with you finding her.

“If it was Jade, you’d go out in a second.” You know you won’t be proud of this in the long run, but you can’t abandon her.

“Of course. That’s because Jade didn’t hurt us!”

You twist your fingers together. “Please, Kanaya. She needs us now, no matter what she’s done.”

Kanaya sighed. “Promise me, Rose. Promise me that she doesn’t want to hurt us anymore.”

You look directly into her eyes. “I swear, Kanaya.”

She nods. “Okay. Let’s do this.”

* * *

 

You told the group. You’d expected Jane and Jake to argue the most vehemently, but Jake only had one request.

“Please don’t tell her I’m here. Uh, personal reasons.”

You shrug. “Fair enough. Anyone coming with?”

Jade stood from the soft cushions. “Sure. Could do with something to get me out of the house.” She stretches, fingers interlocked. She settles, eyes bright with excitement.

“Kinda looking forward to meeting another troll! Haven’t met many.” She gives a little laugh.

* * *

 

The three of you step outside, shutting the door softly. You turn to the other two, who stare at you expectantly. “She was in a dark place. I’m not completely sure. Get us into the white, and I want to try to recreate it.”

Jade shrugs. “I can give it a go. With Kanaya, it should be a piece of cake.”

Right on cue, Jane’s laughter roars from within the house. The perfect timing makes you laugh.

Even Kanaya laughs, with her skewed troll humour.

When you can finally catch your breath, Jade is still giggling. She catches her breath quickly, eyes still swimming with mirth as she holds out her hands for both of you.

You link hands, and she squishes her eyes shut, giggles forgotten quickly. Kanaya closes her eyes, albeit less forcefully than Jade.

You close your eyes, framing your dream in your mind’s eye. As the world flickers to white, you focus everything you have on making it real.

A sudden fear whips through you, making your stomach flip like an acrobat. _What if you saw Aranea in her future, and she’s not there, and doesn’t trust you because you were already there?_

You shove that thought away, bundling it away. It can wait until afterwards, you reason.

And then you realise, the image is slipping. You refocus every bit of energy you possess into making it real around you. You even imagine the smell of books, for fucks sake. 

And then, a _whoomph._ The smell of books becomes larger than life, and you pull your eyes open.

Your surroundings are pretty damn dark. You break hands from Kanaya and Jade, feel blindly for a wall to find a switch.

Instead, light floods your eyesight, and your eyes can’t adjust quickly enough. When they do, you look towards the source, and see your girlfriend rubbing her neck sheepishly.

“I thought it might help,” she defended herself, a smile in her voice. You reach for her hand, and she takes it. You look at your hand, see the red of your blood illuminated by her glowing skin.

You glance around. Your fear is confirmed- Aranea isn’t here. You rub an eye.

“We’re too early. She’s not-“

The door clicks, opens. More light than what was emitted from Kanaya chases the shadows to behind the bookshelves and comfortable seats. From the doorway, the person you’ve been seeking stands before you.

Aranea Serket. Recognition dawn on her face as she stares at you; at least, you think she stares at you. She’s got white eyes- she’s dead, too.

“Hello, Rose Lalonde. What are you doing here?” Her voice is just as you remember it, from those moments on the meteor when you weren’t falling-down drunk. She sounds tired. “Even brought a Maryam.” Her eyes flick to Jade. “And who are you? I recognize you, but I can’t place a name to your face.”

Jade gives her a wave. “I’m Jade Harley. Can we sit down and talk for a while?”

Aranea looks around. “Of course. This isn’t my all my hive, so if you’ll excuse my awkward hospitality. There should be more than enough seats.” She gestures around.

You, Jade and Kanaya sit in a small cluster of chairs. Aranea sits a little further away, as if she was afraid to sit too close.

“Aranea.” You decide to get to the point. “Come back with us. You won’t be alone.”

She shook her head. “No,” she says, flatly. “I’m fucking dangerous, if you don’t remember. I killed some of you humans.” She doesn’t sneer the word.

Kanaya shifts. You know you don’t have much time before she up and leaves.

“You’ve changed. I can feel it.”

“Maybe. Still doesn’t make me less likely to hurt you, even on accident. You’re fragile.” She seems so tired to you- you can’t help but feel sorry for her.

“Aranea, even trolls can change their ways. And you weren’t always like this; back when I was on the meteor, you were kind and only wanted to help. That’s you. Not the murder-version.”

Kanaya rubs her hair, pulling it back. “Aranea, may I ask a question?” Aranea shrugs in response, so Kanaya continues. “You caused Karkat’s death, through my friend Gamzee. You killed Jake and Jane, and probably Terezi. Can we trust you, or not?”

Man, this is why you loved this girl. If you couldn’t cut to the point, she definitely could.

Aranea leans forward. “I don’t know, Maryam. Can you trust me?”

Kanaya crosses her legs. “That really depends on you, doesn’t it?”

Aranea leans back, deflating. She almost looks as if she’s going to cry.

“Don’t let me hurt you, Maryam. Nor you, Jade, or Rose. Because I can hurt people very badly.”

You give a hollow laugh. “We noticed, Aranea. Still, I don’t want you to fade away here, alone.”

“You should be given a fair chance too! It wasn’t your fault, I don’t think it was, anyway. It sounds like you were pushed past your breaking point.” Ah, Jade. Ever perceptive.

Aranea rubs her eyes behind her glasses, making them shift up to her forehead. “Fine, whatever. I’ll come with you, if you really want me too.”

You stand, walk over to her. You extend a hand, and as her glasses lower, she stares at it. Shen seems to come to a point, before reaching for your hand hesitantly. “Come on. We still have a spare room.”

At that, she grabs your hand, her resolve strengthened. “If I’m no bother.” The deflated-ness has faded from her voice. You pull her to stand upright, smile at her.

“They’ve already forgiven you.”

At that, she smiles. “Thank you, Rose Lalonde. I won’t forget this.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> whoop okay this fic is done done doneity done and i fucked up characterization n shit but im just happy its over because i rly don't feel good abt this so kill me

**Author's Note:**

> im considering re-writing this or adding chapters? so the whole game over crew turns up and it's rly sappy and stuff. if that happens i'd probably take this down or smthng lmao


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